


Last-Minute New Year Plan

by bobadeluxe



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Age Difference, Light Angst, M/M, New Year's Fluff, New Years
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:40:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21986701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobadeluxe/pseuds/bobadeluxe
Summary: The new year was coming up, but Raihan had no idea how to celebrate the ocassion. Thankfully, Kabu came to the rescue.
Relationships: Kabu/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 76





	Last-Minute New Year Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory new year fanfic, since the one I did for Christmas wasn't a very happy one asdkasd.

At this rate, Raihan was going to have  _ nothing  _ to post on his Pokégram for the new year. He had no plan whatsoever! He didn't know what to do! It felt like he had done everything. Counting down at the Rose tower? Checked. Attending an exclusive cepss-region New Year's party? Checked. Pub crawling in Wyndon? Checked. Taking a New Year's dip in Circhester? Almost died, but checked. His followers were wondering what he was going to do to celebrate New Year's Eve, and so far Raihan could only say 'oh, you know :3c'.

He hoped someone know and let him tag along, but it seemed everybody had already made plans. Everybody except him, that was. Sebastian took a long vacation since thanksgiving to be with his family in Kalos. Carmilla and Aria was going to try catching a Pokémon at exactly 12:00 AM. Leon was busy with Battle Tower business, so they couldn't hang out. Nessa and Piers ghosted him. Gordie and by proxy Miss Melony had their own family tradition. (Something about rock climbing in blizzard? Raihan forgot.) Milo had to tend to his farm, because of… reasons. (Raihan hung up before he went on a tangent about frost heaving.) Raihan would ask the rest of the gym leaders, but he got self-conscious after hearing 'Oh, I thought you already had plans' a second time. 

They'd think so, wouldn't they? Raihan always had big plans for the holidays. Even the ones people wouldn't normally care for. Yet on the night of December the 31st, Raihan had nothing to do.. and no one to do it with. He had resigned himself to his fate at this point. Time was running out, if he had no plan by now, he wasn't going to come up with something at the last minute.

… Or so he thought. While he was in Motostoke's supermarket buying alcohol to drown his sadness, he saw  _ Kabu _ . Which wasn't the strangest thing, he supposed. Considering that the man  _ did _ live in Motosoke, it was weirder for Raihan to be there. (He didn't want to risk running into someone he knew in Hammerlocke.) Still though, what was Kabu doing.. grocery shopping on New Year's Eve? All by his lonesome? This was just sad.

Raihan made his way towards him, because he once heard that social isolation expose the eldery to many health issues, and he wouldn't want that for Kabu.  _ Not _ because he was glad he wasn't the only lonely one on New Year's Eve. And certainly not because he was hoping he could make a last minute plan after all with the older man. Nope.

" _ Sir _ \- Mr. Kabu! Mr. Kabu, sir!" Raihan called for him, not quite realizing how loud he was being. 

Usually people would notice him first because of his star power - and also his height. With Kabu, though, Raihan had to wave and jump all the way he rushed towards him. Even then when he got there, Raihan still didn't quite grasp Kabu's attention. The man barely lifted his head up from his coupons, and acknowledge Raihan with only a few words and fewer nod of the head.

"Hello, Raihan," Kabu said while clipping one coupon for 'BUY ONE GET ONE FREE: HUEN'S SUKIYAKI RICE NOODLES (400g).'

"What are you doing here?" Raihan asked.

"I could ask you the same question."

Raihan ignored him, "It's New Year's Eve! Why aren't you celebrating? You can buy noodles later."

"Around closing time, they would start to discount their food. You can get fresh products at a good price," Kabu explained, all matter-of-fact like.

"What?" Raihan blinked. "Nevermind that. Why don't you and I go… grab a drink? My treat."

"Not interested," Kabu flat out rejected him and started to walk away down the aisle.

Ouch, that hurt. Raihan never knew how to deal with rejection, and he had been rejected in the last few days more than his entire life. His self-esteem really couldn't take more of this. He followed Kabu hesitantly, hoping that his second attempt at persuasion would work.

"Aw, come on now Mr. Kabu. Spending time with me ain't that bad. Do you not drink? We can do something else! How about - "

Kabu sighed, "I already made plans, Raihan."

Raihan stopped, "Oh."

He looked down into Kabu's shopping basket. Various kinds of packaged red meat, more vegetables than Raihan cared for, a carton of eggs, and more stuff buried underneath. He didn't pay attention to it before, but that was a lot of food for one person. Kabu probably had company coming over, someone special he was going to cook for. It sounded.. intimate. It suited him.

"You seem to have a big night planned for yourself. I'm sure you don't need me," Kabu said, glancing at his basket.

Which consisted of an embarrassing large sized Lonely Gal Margarita Mix For One, a box of powdered donuts, an entire birthday cake for some reason, salty pretzels, a bottle of lube, and loose condoms hanging out of the basket.

"Uh, no, these are just for me," Raihan said while hurriedly pulled the condoms back up inside the basket. Kabu frowned at him. "Sorry for bothering you, Mr. Kabu. I will leave you to it."

"You give up quick," Kabu pointed out. "Usually you'd be more persistent than that."

"Yeah, well, I can tell when I'm not welcomed," his voice came out real pathetic. Ugh.

Kabu just stared at him.

Should he.. leave..?

Raihan only took one step when Kabu's words stopped him in his tracks, "New Year is a time to be amongst friends and family."

"Wow, way to rub it in, sir," Raihan physically cringed. "My friends are all busy and my family.."

Raihan didn't have to answer that. He could just come up with some sort of excuse to deflect the question, as he always would when his family was brought up. But he just.. couldn't. He didn't know why, but it was impossible to lie when Kabu looked at him like that. His gaze was unnerving.

There wasn't a tragic backstory Raihan was hiding or anything like that. They didn't have a bad falling out, and Raihan grew up in a good home. He just kinda grew apart from them at one point, and now he didn't know if he should - or  _ could  _ \- reconnect. He didn't call his mother as often as he'd like, and he barely visited his father. Leon managed to maintain his relationship with his family, despite his champion duties. Raihan pretty much failed in that aspect. The moment he left home to become a trainer, things just weren't the same. He texted sometime, he sent money home, and he sent them gifts on holidays but that was about it. He wanted to go home, but the more years passed by, the guiltier he felt. Coming home now would feel like he was only doing so for holiday's sake.

"We are not close," Raihan left it at that.

For a while, Kabu said nothing at all.

Then he turned on his heels and beckoned Raihan to follow, "Come. You can spend the night at my place."

"Huh?"

"I need to get a few more ingredients, but - "

"Wait, wait, wait!" Raihan just started to follow,  _ Arceus _ , he walked so fast for such a short man. "I can't! I wouldn't wanna intrude."

"It's just me and my Pokémon," Kabu said. "We are having a hot pot."

Raihan blinked, "Hot pot?"  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love that Kabu's sponsor is a hot pot restaurant. My favorite!  
> Hopefully I will finish this by new year's eve.  
> This stemmed from a very specific fantasy of Kabu putting stuff in the pot for you with precise, careful movements..... sigh.


End file.
